remark August 2017 - Page 7

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PACESETTERS
McDonald’s and the FA lead the charge at the Women’s EURO 2017
McDonald’s highlights grassroots at WEURO’s Superstars salute the Lionesses
Through an exclusive broadcast partnership with
Channel 4 , McDonald’s used the UEFA Women’s
EURO to highlight their commitment to UK
grassroots football. Recently, the FA has committed to increasing
participation in women’s football. The Women’s
Euro’s has provided an exciting launchpad for
this. To rally support ahead of the tournament,
the FA launched two campaigns with Little Mix
and Disney.
McDonald’s have been a UEFA Women’s EURO
sponsor since 2005 and this summer marked their
fourth major Women’s football tournament. Their
support of the UEFA Women’s EURO reflects the
company’s ‘Football for All’ ethos, promoting
inclusivity in sport.
As part of their European sponsorship agreement
with UEFA, McDonald’s offered a once in a
lifetime opportunity for children based in the UK
to walk out as a Player Escort in the Netherlands.
Four Player Escorts were flown with their parents
to ENG v SCO and 1 family won a bumper
package for 4 to the Final.
Thousands of families entered this years’ Player
Escort competition which ran in conjunction with
the McDonald’s Better Play Grassroots campaign .
Many sponsors are caught up creating activation
campaigns specifically for the event they are
sponsoring. However, McDonald’s successfully
used this strategic partnership to shine a light on
their primary football message for 2017: ‘15
years of Supporting Community Football’ in the
UK. This reinforces their legacy as the longest
serving grassroots sponsors across the UK.
The FA’s partnership with the popular girl band,
Little Mix, saw the creation of the #Salute
campaign. In using their song ‘Salute’ the FA
have recycled the lyrics and signature ‘salute’
dance move to create a music video; this has
allowed the FA to engage with Little Mix’s
young fanbase. The campaign also saw cameos
from members of the men’s and women’s
England teams, such as the pictured Jamie
Vardy.
Alongside their collaboration with Little Mix,
the FA have begun their first campaign with
Disney . ‘Dream Big, Princess’ demonstrates the
motive behind Disney’s new partnership with
the FA. The series of short films featured the
England women’s football team discussing their
determination to overcome barriers in their
footballing careers.
Members of the public were also invited to
share their own inspirational and motivational
images of young girls using the hashtag
#DreamBigPrincess; ensuring the lionesses have
an ever-growing line of followers and thus
inspiring new recruits for the future.